Changes

|spouse=Julie Brink Straus

|spouse=Julie Brink Straus

|religion=[[Judaism]]

|religion=[[Judaism]]

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1959|9|1}}

|birth_date=September 1, 1959

|office=Texas State Representative for District 121 (Bexar County)

|office=Texas State Representative for District 121 (Bexar County)

|term_start=January 2005

|term_start=January 2005

|term_end=

|term_end=

|preceded=Elizabeth Ames Jones

|preceded=Elizabeth Ames Jones

|offic2=Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives

|office2=Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives

|term_start2=January 2009

|term_start2=January 2009

|preceded2=Thomas Russell "Tom" Craddick

|preceded2=Thomas Russell "Tom" Craddick

}}

}}

'''Joseph R. "Joe" Straus, III''' (born September 1, 1959), is a [[centrist]] [[Republican Party|Republican]] state representative from [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], who has been since January 2009 the [[Speaker]] of the Texas House of Representatives. He was initially elected to the House in a special election held in January 2005 to succeed [[Elizabeth Ames Jones]], who resigned to join the [[Texas Railroad Commission]]. A youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]], Straus has, like Tower, supported [[pro-choice]] interests. His critics claim that he has also undermined [[free enterprise]] economics.<ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=49917</ref>

'''Joseph R. "Joe" Straus, III''' (born September 1, 1959), is a [[Moderate Republican]] state representative from [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], who has been since January 2009 the [[Speaker]] of the Texas House of Representatives. He was initially elected to the House in a special election held in January 2005 to succeed Elizabeth Ames Jones, who resigned to join the [[Texas Railroad Commission]], a post she has since vacated. A youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]], for whom he was once a part-time chauffeur, Straus has, like Tower, supported [[pro-choice]] interests. His critics claim that he has also undermined [[free enterprise]] economics.<ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=49917</ref>

To win the Speakership, Straus, armed with [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] backing, unseated fellow Republican [[Tom Craddick]] of Midland, Texas, the senior member of the state House and its first ever Republican Speaker, having served from 2003 to 2009.

To win the Speakership, Straus, armed with [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] backing, unseated fellow Republican [[Tom Craddick]] of [[Midland]], Texas, the senior member of the state House and its first ever Republican Speaker, a post that he held from 2003 to 2009.

In the final weeks of 2010, a movement developed among some [[conservative]] Republican citizens and political figures to replace Straus as Speaker. State Republican Executive Committee member [[John Cook]] wrote in an [[e-mail]] to a colleague: "We elected a house with [[Christian]], conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it." The dissident conservatives stressed that their opposition to Straus is not because the Speaker is [[Jewish]], but that the Speaker should have [[pro-life]], pro-family values.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/09/christian-conservative-replace-jewish-speaker-texan-pols-say/</ref>

In the final weeks of 2010, a movement developed among some [[conservative]] Republican citizens and political figures to replace Straus as Speaker. State Republican Executive Committee member [[John Cook]] wrote in an [[e-mail]] to a colleague: "We elected a house with [[Christian]], conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it." The dissident conservatives stressed that their opposition to Straus is not because the Speaker is [[Jewish]], but that the Speaker should have [[pro-life]], pro-family values.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/09/christian-conservative-replace-jewish-speaker-texan-pols-say/</ref>

==References==

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{reflist}}

[[Category:RINOs]]

[[Category:RINOs]]

[[Category:Business People]]

[[Category:Business People]]